Four 30-metre ‘monster’ light towers will rise above Horsham in the next couple of weeks as a $450,000 flood-lighting project at Horsham City Oval takes a highly visible step forward.
Contractors have completed all cabling works and are on schedule to start erecting the towers, which will dwarf existing light poles at the reserve, in mid to late March.
Horsham Rural City Council technical services manager David Eltringham said the towers would go up as soon as concrete foundations had set to the strength required to hold the structures.
He agreed the towers would create an imposing sight across Horsham’s skyline, particularly when fully lit.
“They are about half as high again as the light towers there at the moment. We’re just waiting to stand them up and attach the lights,” he said.
Mr Eltringham said the city council was also negotiating with Powercor to access appropriate power for the system but had assurances the lights would be ready for use for the approaching football season.
“As reported to the last council meeting, we’re aiming to have the official opening in mid April,” he said.
“We’re going to have to do a general tidy-up of the area as well. The concourse has suffered through the construction process and that has to be repaired. There might be some minor works not finished for the start of football but the main jobs will be completed.”
The new lights and towers, replacing an antiquated system, will open Horsham City Oval to night football, cricket and other sporting and community events. It will be a boon for Wimmera football competition.
Construction of the new lights is only part of long-term plans for the city oval, known colloquially in the past as ‘The Rec’.
Trial parking
Mr Eltringham confirmed that the council would introduce a new trial parking system for Hocking Street by the end of the month in an effort to ease parking issues.
Changes will include a switch from parallel to angle parking and a change from two-way to one-way east-to-west traffic.
“We’ll introduce it as a trial for this football season and hopefully it will mean less congestion at the O’Callaghan Parade end of the street,” he said.